Apple Cup: Five Huskies, five Cougars have local connections

Published 9:30 pm Wednesday, November 23, 2016

There are Snohomish County connections on both sides of this year’s Apple Cup rivalry.

The Washington and Washington State football teams both have five players on their rosters who call Snohomish County home, although it’s those on the the Husky side who have seen the most game action.

Former Marysville Pilchuck defensive back/running back Austin Joyner played in nine of UW’s first 11 games this season on both sides of the ball. He appeared in two games last season before tearing his ACL. He garnered his first career interception in the Huskies’ win over Oregon State on Oct. 22.

Joyner may be wearing purple and gold now, but there was a time when he seemed destined to wear crimson and gray. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder originally committed to UW before flipping to WSU when former Husky coach Steve Sarkisian left for USC. Joyner then decommitted from WSU when former defensive coordinator Mike Breske was fired following the Cougars’ 3-9 campaign in 2014.

Then there is Myles Gaskin, UW’s true sophomore running back. Gaskin is a Lynnwood native who attended Seattle’s O’Dea High School. Gaskin was a freshman All-American in 2015 when he became the first Husky freshman to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Gaskin already has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark this season, reaching that milestone in the Huskies’ 26-13 loss to USC on Nov. 12.

Defensive back Mason Stone from Mountlake Terrace, and defensive lineman John Clark of Marysville have both appeared in games for the Huskies. Former Lake Stevens wide receiver Josh Rasmussen has yet to play for UW.

Out on the Palouse, the Snohomish County connection is less pronounced. Like UW, the WSU roster boasts five county natives, but only one has seen game action. That would be former Sultan High School standout Taylor Comfort, a redshirt sophomore who appeared at the end of WSU’s 69-7 blowout win over Arizona on Nov. 5.

Comfort walked on the WSU football team following a career at Sultan where he was a standout football player and wrestler. The 6-foot, 260-pounder was named the Male Athlete of the Year at Sultan High School in 2014.

Also on WSU’s roster are former Marysville Pilchuck running back Killian Page, Lake Stevens receiver Riley Krenz, Meadowdale kicker Brett Schafer and Cascade offensive lineman Josh Watson. All four have yet to play this season.